2012 Honda Civic Si - F UR K

This has basically become a routine for us here at Super Street: every year, a month or so after the annual SEMA show occurs, we make our way down to Ontario, CA to visit our good friend Bisi Ezerioha. It’s always nice to catch up with Bisi and his interesting sense of humor, but the main reason why we head out there is to get a better look at his latest, and possibly greatest, new project. We’ve come to expect a lot from Bisi over the years because he never disappoints. If anything, he’s always surprised us and exceeded our expectations. Bisi started out as the naturally-aspirated single-cam Honda king, and then captured the attention of the entire import automotive community by building a 700-plus horsepower, turbocharged Civic Wagon. One company that took a vested interest in Bisimoto’s many accomplishments was Honda of America. They knew he had the uncanny ability to build what seemed impossible and provided him with the opportunity last year to tinker with the then-newly released hybrid Honda CR-Z. Unless you’ve been living under that proverbial rock, you’ve probably already heard of his fully-operational hybrid, turbocharged, 533hp CR-Z. If by chance you haven’t, please kindly pull up a Google search and educate yourself. The Bisimoto CR-Z garnered such critical acclaim and positive reception, that Honda once again contacted Bisi for the 2011 SEMA project. This time around, they had another unique undertaking in the form of the newly-unveiled 2012 Honda Civic Si.

This new Civic was, by all accounts, completely uncharted territory. Unlike years past, this Civic was for the US consumer. That’s right, no Japanese domestic market. On top of it being an entirely new chassis, beneath the hood sprang another surprise: the new K24A7 engine. Nobody had laid a hand on this Civic or its motor yet, but uncharted territory is what Bisi is all about. Honda provided him with a blank canvas to do as he pleased, and after seeing his reveal at the 2011 SEMA event, he didn’t fail in his efforts to blow everyone’s collective minds. Pardon our French, but he built the ever-living shit out of this Civic.

“With the 2012 Civic Si, we really wanted to take elements from drag racing, time attack, and street tuning to encompass the idea that we can create a ‘Civic for everyone’ while maintaining all the signature Bisimoto Engineering elements,” Bisi explains. “We have taken styling aspects from all three genres and devoted special attention to the aesthetics for this year’s build. Technology and efficient power-production has always been our forte, but we want the public to know that we also have style in mind. We have no fear of the unknown and we are always willing to take risks.”

In terms of visual appeal, their 2012 Civic is perhaps their best “looking” vehicle to date. The exterior is emblazoned in a full-laminated body wrap like the CR-Z and continues to wear the signature “Bisimoto blue”, but additions of Carbon Creations front and side carbon splitters make for a more menacing look. The chute finds home in the rear of the Civic again, paired up with a custom aluminum trunk-mounted rear wing. A teardrop-shaped cut-out in the hood offers a hint of what’s going on underneath. The biggest departure from his previous projects in the past is the aggressive stance of the Civic. The chassis rides low to the pavement via prototype Eibach Springs coilovers and sits on newly released 18-inch Eins Gramm wheels. The wheel, which translated from German means “one gram”, is manufactured and sold exclusively by Bisimoto Engineering.

Aesthetic enhancements are definitely a plus, but the centerpiece of this build still lies within the power plant of the Si coupe. Bisi immediately pulled the K24Z7 motor from the Civic upon receipt and tore it apart to begin the power-making process. He had planned from the get-go to boost the 2.4 liter engine so steps were taken to fortify the internals and ensure that it could handle the stress from the 72mm mid-frame Turbonetics turbocharger. Engine teardown and re-assembly was all done in-house with the exception of the engine block itself, which was sent out to Golden Eagle for sleeving. Golden Eagle was also responsible for the custom intake manifold that was built to Bisi’s very own specifications. An additional plate was welded to the top of the intake manifold so that the AEM high-output inductive ignition coils could be mounted. K-series motors have been designed from the factory to have a coil-over-plug set-up but Bisimoto went a different route and decided to go with external coils with MSD ignition wires running back to the head. The AEM coils not only provide more proficient spark over the OEM units, but also make for an unexpected and very unusual look inside the engine bay.

“Bisimoto engineering has always been about making reliable power in vehicles that are pushed to their limits.”

The angled turbocharger set-up, custom intake manifold, and external coil set-up make for a very interesting look inside the engine bay, but these components stand out so much more because the bay has been devoid of all unnecessary items. Wiring extraordinaire Ryan “Rywire” Basseri spent many nights at the Bisimoto facility creating custom, tucked brake lines as well as a one-off mil-spec electrical engine harness. Wired to an AEM Series 2 Engine Management System and tuned on E85 flex-fuel, the Bisimoto-spec K24Z7 was able to produce a mind-blowing 1003.6 horsepower and produce torque numbers of 622LB-FT. Amazing numbers for a motor that still remains a relative unknown to most other aftermarket tuning companies.

Inside the cockpit of the Bisimoto 2012 Civic, only what is essential was allowed to stay. The ninth generation Civic introduced a very intricate “intelligent Multi-informational display” (i-Mid) that allows users to customize whatever they want to see on their dashboard but even that has been removed. In its place sits a much simpler Racepak IQ3 unit that provides only the most pertinent engine information. The back half of the interior has been completely gutted to make room for the Steen-fabricated roll cage and stock front seats exchanged for Buddy Club P1 racing buckets. The winner of “most interesting interior mod” would have gone to the mini Honda first aid kit if it weren’t for the switch box from a fighter jet that’s mounted to the area where the OEM navigation unit once sat. The switch box is a cool piece that’s been added to not only give a distinctive look, but to also manage boost functions from the AEM EMS and traction control.

“We have very big plans ongoing for this Civic,” Bisi says. “It made a triumphant debut at the 2011 SEMA show but we have full intentions of making use of the power that this vehicle produces. Time was devoted to making the outside package presentable and relevant but this is not just merely a display project. Bisimoto Engineering has always been about making reliable power in vehicles that are pushed to their limits. Currently, I am using this car to test new lubricant technologies for Bisimoto along with AEM engine management protocols. Once that is completed, fuels from VP will be tested and we will take a look at different prototype gearboxes from Quaife before we ultimately test the 2012 Civic on the track.”

For the ninth generation Civic, Honda of America came out with a new campaign, which they dubbed “To Each Their Own”. The idea was to push ultimate personalization and to allow owners the ability to turn their Civics into a true reflection of self. At 1004 horsepower, a new signature wheel, and a unique full-body graphical livery, there’s no doubt about whose Civic this is. It’s all Bisimoto Engineering, and you best believe that there’s nothing else like it in the entire world.